Life's trials and triumphs can seem accidental. One person may feel that life is a constant struggle in which pitfalls abound and someone seems out to get him. Another may feel that every day is a gift from God with special blessings just for her. That's because forces are at work in our lives: the blessings of a loving God or the curses of our spiritual adversary. This hugely popular classic work of Derek Prince helps readers recognize if there are curses at work in their lives and shows them how to get out from under those curses to live under God's blessings. This third edition of Blessing or Curse includes an extensive new study guide for small group or individual use.
Graduated High School in 1971, three months pregnant. I left my mothers house with my Fianc. The only thing I took with me were the clothes on my back, the things I read in books, the things my Grandmother taught me which mainly involved cooking and cleaning, the Bible quotes and old folks tales my Grandmother used to say over and over, the few things my mother taught me during her brief and few periods of time into my life, and also a very special gift from God, which was the ability to play any musical instrument I chose to play. I thought I was grown and knew everything. What I didn't know was although I was very smart, I was also very naive. I got married in 1972 and had another baby in 1974. I worked for a police department from 1977 to 1985. I was in the Army National Guard from 1979 to 1985. So many unbelievable things happened to me during that time, both good and bad. So many more bad things happened than good that I started to think my life was cursed for some reason. It started to happen so much that finally I did not want to live any longer.
Hey you! What are you hiding? Why? Is it that embarrassing? How awkward and creepy is it, really? Are you a secret people watcher? Maybe you are graceful enough to fall up stairs and trip on your own feet. Do you scream in the middle of a quiet church service? That's not awkward, or creepy. At least, it doesn't have to be. We all have something we are hiding. I mean, everyone else thinks they are normal, right?You are different. And you were meant to be different. There are over 7 billion people in the world. What makes it beautiful is that there are no two people exactly alike. The things that make each person special and unique are the things that give purpose and drive towards the most fulfilling and satisfying life possible! Self-esteem comes from fully loving one's self; the things that are considered strengths as well as what are considered flaws. This book shows you your own secret weapon. It's that thing you keep hiding from everyone. Paula uses her Tourette Syndrome to illustrate how potentially embarrassing situations have become cherished memories and golden opportunities. The freedom that comes from embracing and using your differences is both liberating and validating. Let the discovery of your true self take you to new places.
A Gentle Invitation into the Challenging Topic of Privilege The notion that some might have it better than others, for no good reason, offends our sensibilities. Yet, until we talk about privilege, we’ll never fully understand it or find our way forward. Amy Julia Becker welcomes us into her life, from the charm of her privileged southern childhood to her adult experience in the northeast, and the denials she has faced as the mother of a child with special needs. She shows how a life behind a white picket fence can restrict even as it protects, and how it can prevent us from loving our neighbors well. White Picket Fences invites us to respond to privilege with generosity, humility, and hope. It opens us to questions we are afraid to ask, so that we can walk further from fear and closer to love, in all its fragile and mysterious possibilities.
Each affordable book in the Biblical Truth Simply Explained series examines a vital aspect of the Christian faith. The books are written by a variety of authors, all in a way that presents the message of the Bible clearly and simply. British editions of this series, published by Sovereign World, have sold more than a million copies in all.
Life Is Never Mainly About Love and Marriage. So Learn to Live and Date for More. Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one," but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of the perfect person, but a pursuit of more of God. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would write for yourself, but that's because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. This book was written to help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.
Bobby Gross presents chapters on each season of the liturgical year, accompanied by weekly devotions based on the Sunday readings of the lectionary cycle. His book offers a flexible weekly format, designed to let you break the devotions down any way you want to.
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.
Author Jess McCann spent over a decade investigating the reason why so many smart, attractive people suffer repeating, negative patterns. What she found was the startling revelation that men and women who struggle to develop or maintain a happy relationship all have one thing in common: they are unknowingly stuck in a habit of self-focused thinking.In a time where people are advised to concentrate more on themselves in order to gain happiness and love, McCann astutely lays out a different and more sustainable path to those goals. "If Love Is A Blessing, Why Do I Feel Cursed?" shines a light on the 5 self-focused thought habits that sabotage love and the practices needed to rid and reframe them.
